yeah westjet has a member exclusive deals which can only be seen if you're paying 100% in WS dollars. Same goes for international flights, you can buy international flights to asia or whatnot through westjet only if you pay the entire balance using westjet dollars

Bit of a gamble though. I'm looking to fly to LGW later this year from Calgary, so I wonder if they have special prices for paying in WJ dollars.

I believe you are confusing the tax I was referring to in my post. The tax I spoke of was with regards to the purchase of the actual WSDs, and has nothing to do with taxes & fees at the time of ticket purchase.

Bit of a gamble though. I'm looking to fly to LGW later this year from Calgary, so I wonder if they have special prices for paying in WJ dollars.

They have member exclusive fares out to LGW, but they are no where near as good in terms of value compares to trans-Canada flights, at least so far. Easy way to check is to fish around for dates online and see for yourself.

They have member exclusive fares out to LGW, but they are no where near as good in terms of value compares to trans-Canada flights, at least so far. Easy way to check is to fish around for dates online and see for yourself.

But you can't see the fares unless you already purchased the Westjet dollars right?

You are incorrect. WS Rewards is no different than any points program. Just because they are called "dollars", and are rated at 1 CAD, they have no actual monetary value and are eligible to be taxed as a product of some sort.

Are you sure it's tax and not just the Points.com fee?
When I buy $1000 WJD, it charges me 5% ($1050)
When I buy $2000 WJD, it charges me 3.75% ($2075)
When I buy $3000 WJD, it charges me 3.33% ($3100)
So really you are getting an extra 10-11.67% of westjet dollars, not 15%, depending on how many you buy.

Didn't know about the tax thing. Definitely would kill the deal for me as I'm in Vancouver

Only GST is charged IIRC, so you are in fact subject to the lowest taxation on WSDs in the country. Hardly "kills" the deal, just makes it less sweet. Our friends in Ontario, for example, are stuck paying HST, which is significantly more.

Are you sure it's tax and not just the Points.com fee?
When I buy $1000 WJD, it charges me 5% ($1050)
When I buy $2000 WJD, it charges me 3.75% ($2075)
When I buy $3000 WJD, it charges me 3.33% ($3100)
So really you are getting an extra 10-11.67% of westjet dollars, not 15%, depending on how many you buy.

Yes, I am sure. Read the fine print beside your total that states taxes will be added based upon your address. Even better yet, enter your billing information's province and watch your dreams get whisked away. Again, WSD is no different from Aeroplan in the sense that you are buying some sort of points, these points just happen to be named "WestJet Dollars". WSD is not a gift card stored for later use, nor does it hold any monetary value. Therefore you are BUYING a product of sorts = tax, tax, tax!!!

Only GST is charged IIRC, so you are in fact subject to the lowest taxation on WSDs in the country. Hardly "kills" the deal, just makes it less sweet. Our friends in Ontario, for example, are stuck paying HST, which is significantly more.

Yes, I am sure. Read the fine print beside your total that states taxes will be added based upon your address. Even better yet, enter your billing information's province and watch your dreams get whisked away. Again, WSD is no different from Aeroplan in the sense that you are buying some sort of points, these points just happen to be named "WestJet Dollars". WSD is not a gift card stored for later use, nor does it hold any monetary value. Therefore you are BUYING a product of sorts = tax, tax, tax!!!

I stand corrected. This is not terrible if you live in Alberta, but if you live in a high HST province you pay more than the WJD are worth!

On my CC I have an alternate billing address in Montana with 0% tax. I wonder if it will work given the primary address is in AB and if the bonus is just dependent on simply making a transaction over $1000.

EDIT - Tried going into my account to see what it will do and I received an error: "Sorry, some features are currently unavailable. Please check back again soon. "

Not a great deal in the end, unless you have a specific Westjet trip coming up. With tax, you're only gaining $48 if you load $1000 (even worse if you're in provinces with higher taxes).

Number of WestJet dollars 1,000
Bonus WestJet dollars 150
Total WestJet dollars 1,150
Cost of WestJet dollars$1,050.00
Subtotal$1,050.00
GST/HST$52.50
Total charge
Taxes will be calculated based on the purchaser's billing address.$1,102.50